1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an apparatus for mounting a drawer into a cabinet or similar apparatus and more particularly to a slide mounting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A drawer can be mounted into the opening of an accommodating cabinet or desk by simply being built to size and slipped into the opening. Indeed, inexpensive furniture and cabinet construction provide such a fitting together of parts. However, a drawer mounted in such a way often sticks, turns slightly sideways when pulled out or pushed in and therefore binds, does not fit flush when shut and pushes inwardly of the front of the cabinet or other apparatus, embarrassingly falls to the floor when inadvertently pulled too far open, and even when it does not pull out, tilts downwardly forward in an awkward fashion.
Therefore, it has long been recognized that it was desirable to provide a mounting that would overcome the above listed shortcomings. First, cooperating runners were mounted inside the wall of the apparatus and the side of the drawer to stabilize the movement of the drawer. However, such runners did not allow the drawer to be pulled as far forward as desired. Moreover, the early runners did not enhance the sliding of the drawer except by the reduced surface of the runners compared with the entire drawer bottom resting on a mating bottom support of the cabinet or other apparatus.
Finally, slide mountings were introduced that included ball bearings and that included multiple nested pieces so as to permit the supported drawer to be pulled all of the way forward from its accommodating opening while remaining supported or held in position to be returned. Such supports have universally been comprised of metallic pieces, which are stronger and less fragile than wooden runners. It is apparent that metallic runners are acceptable in many, if not most applications because of their strength. They do need lubrication, however, and they are expensive to fabricate compared with plastic. Plastic, on the otherhand, although self lubricating, has not been felt to be strong enough for most applications.
One patent, namely U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,918, Dobbratz, issued Dec. 23, 1975, is known that includes internal plastic blocks encased by metal parts, which plastic blocks encased by metal parts, which plastic blocks provide self-lubrication to the slide. However, the blocks themselves are surrounded by weight bearing metal. It has been discovered, however, that with applicants' design, hereafter described, it is possible to provide a virtually all plastic extension slide for mounting drawers and the like without incorporating metal support. In fact, the design includes three nested parts to permit full extension of the drawer, all without metal support pieces being included.
Therefore, it is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved three-part nested plastic slide that is sufficiently strong so as to support a drawer even when it is fully extended from its accommodating opening.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide an improved three-part nested plastic slide that can be disassembled and assembled for installation and replacement-of-parts purposes without special tools.